Maple Syrup Crystals

Broad Question

How do you make maple crystals?

Specific Question

What temperature is best to grow maple syrup crystals?

Variables

Independent Variable:

Temperature

Dependent Variable:

Maple Syrup Crystals

Variables That Need To Be Controlled:

Amount of maple syrup

Hypothesis

I hypothesis that boiling the syrup, then cooling it in the freezer will grow the crystals better than the other ones.

Graph of Hypothesis

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General Plan

For my project, I am going to try and find the best mixtures that will be best to grow maple syrup crystals. They are tasty and fun to make. What I am going to do first is gather all my materials. I will set up a double boiler to boil the maple syrup like melting chocolate. When it is boiling, turn off the stove and let it cool ten minutes. After it has cooled, pour half of it into a glass jar/bottle. After that is done. Place the plastic wrap over to top and secure it with tape. Do this for all three jars. Watch carefully for the next week to see if crystals grow.

Experimental Design

I will be conducting my science fair project at my house in the kitchen. I will have one other person helping me in my science fair project. Their role is to either take pictures or help me conduct multiple tasks at the same time. I will need to perform at least three trials to have enough information to create a reliable conclusion. I will record my data from my experiment onto a data table I will have created in my notebook. During the process of my experiment I will document the changes and everything that happens in a journal for the experiment. After the experiment’s trials are all over, I will be able to go back through the journal and see what I did different what I had done the same and see what worked better and what worked the worst.



MATERIALS

• Maple Syrup
• 3 different plastic containers
• Microwave
• Fridge/Freezer
• Plastic wrap
• Tape
• Camera
• Journal
• Pencil
• Me

PROCEDURE

1. Buy real maple syrup.
2. Pour one inch of maple syrup into each of the five plastic containers.
3. Make separate labels on masking tape saying Maple 1, Maple 2, Maple 3
4. Stick the labels on each of the containers.
5. Tape pieces of plastic wrap over the tops of the containers securely.
6. Place one container in a cold place that would stay below 60 degrees ferinheit.
7. Place another one by the window where the room stays at room temperature (about 70 degrees)
8. Place another close to the ground, prehaps upstairs by a window.

These are basic steps to getting for the actual experiment.

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All of the containers will stay out onto the counter by the window, except for container 3.

Data Table

TRIALS TEMPERATURE
Trial 1 20
Trial 2 70-75
Trial 3 45-50

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Background Research

How heat effects different objects or liquids of sorts. Like how if you put a pot of water on the stove for some time, the water would eventually boil and evaporate into the air. Most liquids would boil if put onto heat for a bit of time and left alone.
That there are multiple ways of making maple syrup crystals out of maple syrup. One way that many others have been trying to conquer was boiling the maple syrup until thick. Then, you spread 1 cup of the boiled syrup onto a cookie sheet with a thin layer of ice already on the sheet. Then the crystals are said to show...

I learned a different more convenient way of making the maple syrup crystals from this cite. Look at the cite to recreate the theory.
Some procedures for making the crystals don’t work and that some people are having a hard time getting crystals to grow.

References

McCarthy, Rose. The Laws of Thermodynamics-Understanding Heat and Energy Transfers. 2005, First Edition. New York, NY: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2005. Print.

"Page Not Found." Science Fair Project Ideas, Answers, & Tools. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=24>.

"Page Is Found." Science Fair Project Ideas, Answers, & Tools. Web. 26 Jan. 2012. <http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=24>.

"Maple Syrup Crystals." Chemistry - Periodic Table, Chemistry Projects, and Chemistry Homework Help. Web. 25 Jan. 2012. <http://chemistry.about.com/od/sugarcrystalsrockcandy/a/Maple-Syrup-Crystals.htm>

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Results

Graphs

Photos

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Data Analysis

Conclusion

The original purpose of this experiment was to find out what temperature the maple syrup crystals would grow best in. The results of the experiment were the maple syrup crystals grew a little bit of crystals but not much. The ones in the freezer didn't grow at all.

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Discussion

My hypothesis that boiling syrup, then cooling it in the freezer will grow the crystals better than the other ways. My results do not support my hypothesis. There is a relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Some patterns and trends that my data shows are that the constant temperature was, the more crystals formed. I think the tests I did went smoothly with minor problems. I think this because the crystals did not grow on the string like I planned. They grew n the side of the containers in the corners. If I could improve my my experiment, I would put the syrup in a taller containers with strings to ensure that the crystals will most likely grow on the string. An interesting future study might involve continuing to grow the crystals, experiments with different types of crystal growth and rock crystals.